Waste trap



Nov. 10, 1936.

J. D. HoucK WAS-TE TRAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1934 Nov. 10,1936.

J. D. HOUCK WASTE TRAP Filed May 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov.10, 1936 UNi'lED STATES PATENT OFFliCE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Water coolers and has specialreference to coolers which use ice as the cooling medium.

The object of the invention is to provide a cooler which shall moreefficiently apply the cooling effect to the water; which shall be moreeffectively insulated against the heat of the surrounding atmosphere;the ice chamber of which shall be effectively sealed against theentrance of air; which shall be so constructed as to be convenientlyiced; and which shall present a neat finished appearance.

The novel features of the invention are set forth in the appendedclaims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization andits method of operation, together with additional objects and novelfeatures and advantages thereof will best be understood from thefollowing description of a specific embodiment taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and inwhich:-

Fig. l is a front elevation of a water cooler embodying the invention ina preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical, fragmentary section taken on the line 2-2of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, the top cover being separated;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; a

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 66 of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the water holding element on the line'l'l of Figs. 2 and 8;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the water holding element on the line8-8 of Figs. 6 and 7;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the water drain trap on the line 9-9 ofFig. 6; and

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section on the line l0l0 of Fig. 9.

In said drawings [5 represents a suitable casing for sustaining aninverted bottle iii of water. The casing is held at a suitable height bylegs I! and is provided in its upper end with a cooling chamber l8completely enclosed by double thickness heat insulating walls I 9.

Within the chamber I 8 and near the bottom wall there is arranged ahollow, closed, watercontaining and cooling member 20. The water coolingmember Ellis preferably flat to form a support for a mass of ice 2|which is the cooling medium, in the form of device shown.

The water cooling member 26 has an inlet 22 at one side and at its top,and an outlet 23 in the side Wall and opposite to the inlet.

The inlet 2| is connected by a pipe 24 leading up to an enlarged cup orfunnel-like member 25 arranged in the top Wall of the cooling chamberand adapted to support the inserted water bottle 16 in position fordelivering water to the cooling member 20. The outlet 23 of the coolingmember 20 is connected to a suitable faucet 26 which is secured to thecasing l for withdrawing the cooled water.

The interior of the cooling member 20 is divided by vertical walls 21into a zig-zag passage from the inlet 22 to the outlet 23 so that thewater in passing through the member 20 will have to travel an elongatedpassage from the inlet to the outlet and thus be efficiently cooled.

Below the faucet 26 is a perforated shelf 28 secured in the side wall ofthe casing l and arranged in a suitable collecting or drain member 29 tocatch the drip and waste water. The member 29 delivers the waste waterthrough a drain pipe 30 into a waste water receptacle 3| arran ed in thelower part of the casing IE on a shelf or bottom 32. The casing I5 isprovided with a suitable hinged door 33 for convenience in removing thereceptacle 3| from time to time as needed.

The top wall of the cooling chamber is provided with an opening 34 forreceiving the memoer 25 and a second and larger opening 35 forconvenience in placing the ice in the chamber.

The opening 35 is closed by a cover member 36 which is constructedsimilarly to the walls of the chamber in that it is hollow and filledWith insulating material. Surrounding the opening 35 the top wall of thechamber is provided with a trough 3i adapted to contain water and thecover has a dependent circumferential flange 38 arranged and adapted todepend into the water in the trough 37 and form an eiiicient Water sealto prevent the entrance of air into the chamber past the cover 36. i

The cover 36 is provided with a handle 39 by which it may be readilylifted out when it is necessary to renew the ice. In the form shown thetop wall of the cover is forced down to provide a depression 49 and thehandle 39 consists of a flat bar secured upon the top wall 49' of thecover and over the depression 40.

For the purpose of causing the top of the casing to provide a finishedappearance, a false cover consisting of two parts ii and 42 is providedof neat, smooth appearance and having rounded edges 13 projectingslightly over the top edges of the casing i5.

The two parts 4! and 42 of the false cover join on the center line ofthe inlet member 25 and the front part i! is removable to expose theinner cover 36. The two parts of the false cover are dowelled togetherat their meeting edge. The front part ii! is provided with projectingtongues 44 and the rear part is provided with openings 45 to receivethese projections as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The opening 34 in the top wall of the casing is formed by a tubularmember 34 extending through the top wall of the casing and the casingbeing relatively thick, this tubular member is relatively long. Thefunnel-like member fits relatively tightly in this tubular member. Abovethe top wall of the casing, the member 25 is enlarged to provide ahorizontal supporting flange 45. The wall of the member 25 is formedupwardly at the outer edge of the flange 46 providing a cylindrical part48 equal in length to the thickness of the false cover 4! and at theupper end of this cylindrical part it is again expanded to form ahorizontal flange-like part 49 extending over the false cover 4!. Thefalse cover is provided with a depending nozzle-like flange 48 arrangedto fit around the vertical part 48 of the member 25. The fitting of thefunnel-like member 25 in the tubular member 35 in co-operation with theseating of the horizontal supporting flange 15 provides very secure andrigid connection of the member 25 with the casing. At the outer edge ofthe flange 59 the wall of the member 25 is again formed upwardly toprovide a vertical flange 59 to provide a circumferential space toreceive a soft packing ring 5| upon which the bottle l5 rests and whichprovides support for the bottle. The neck 52 of the bottle extends downinto the top of the lower part of the member 25 and fits looselytherein, but with sufficient accuracy to hold the bottle upright withsufficient stability.

The ring 5! may be provided with surface grooves 53 of small area topermit sufficient air to enter the bottle to let the water flow down toreplenish the water in the member 25 as the cool water is withdrawn.

A novel trap 55 is provided for preventing the waste water from the icerising too high in the cooling chamber.

This trap consists of an outer casing 55 closed at its top and bottomand provided with inlet holes 56 near its lower end. There is an innertube 5? sealed in the bottom of the casing 55 its upper end extending upwithin the casing to a point near its top, and the lower end extendingdown below the bottom of the casing. The lower end 58 of the tube 51receives a tapered rubber packing member 59 the lower end of which isadapted to fit tightly in a drain pipe 60 sealed to the bottom wall ofthe chamber 28. The drain pipe is adapted to deliver the waste waterfrom the ice into the receptacle 3 I.

In operation the water rises within the trap 54 until it overflows intothe upper end of the inner tube. This trap forms an effective seai toprevent any free circulation of air into or out of the ice chamber butpermits just sufficient air to enter to allow the discharge of the wastewater. The trap 54 is located at one side and free of the water coolingmember 20.

As melting ice leaves more or less sediment or scum, which has to beremoved from time to time, the mounting of the trap 54 on the yieldingtapered packing 59 permits the trap to be easily removed for cleansingand to be readily seated again in the bottom of the chamber. The taperedupper end of the drain tube 60 co-operates with the tapered packing totightly seal the trap to the bottom of the chamber I8 and yet allow thetrap to be readily removed and replaced.

I claim:-

1. A waste trap for an ice chamber, the trap having a closed verticallyextending chamber having water inlets near its lower end, a centraldischarge tube fiXed in the lower wall of said trap chamber andextending up adjacent to the top thereof, and extending down below thebottom of the chamber, the lower end of the discharge tube provided witha tapered, relatively soft packing, and the lower wall of the icechamber provided with a discharge pipe sealed therein and provided witha tapered inlet to receive said packing.

2. A waste trap for use in a substantially sealed chamber, and adaptedto be removably sealed in the bottom of the chamber and comprising abody having a delivery pipe extending from its bottom, a drain pipesealed to the bottom of the chamber, the entrance end of the drain pipebeing slightly tapered, the delivery pipe arranged to enter into thedrain pipe, and a yielding packing on the delivery pipe tapered toco-operate with the entrance end of the waste pipe to seal the trap inthe bottom of the casing and permit its ready removal.

3. A trap for use in a substantially sealed chamber adapted to containice, means for removably sealing the trap to the bottom of the chamberincluding a tapered, yielding packing, the trap having an outersubstantially closed casing, provided with entrance openings near itslower end, and a delivery pipe extending up through the bottom of thecasing and its ending at upper end adjacent the top wall of the trapcasing, the delivery pipe sealed into the bottom wall of the trapcasing.

JOHN D. HOUCK.

